Page 30 of Fractured Fates

“Does being in a house actually make a difference? I mean, no one mentioned it at all.”

“The sporting events take place between the houses and some academic competitions too. Plus there are mandatory house events each term.”

I nod, dressing quickly and running a brush through my tangled locks.

“Aren’t you going to dry your hair?” Winnie asks as she straightens her beret on her head.

“I would but I didn’t bring a hairdryer with me.”

Winnie does that blinking thing again. I’m beginning to realize it means she doesn’t understand me.

“Errr can’t you just dry it with your magic?”

Now it’s my turn to blink. “I … erm … I …” I’m too embarrassed to tell her I don’t know how but she figures it out for herself.

“Here, let me.” She raises her hands, whispers under her breath, and a blast of warm air sweeps my way, drying my hair almost immediately and leaving it tangle free. “Want me to do your makeup too?” I notice she’s added mascara to her light eyelashes and gloss to her lips.

“No, I’m good,” I tell her, not wanting her to know I’m a bigger freak than she already does and have never actually worn makeup before. Why would I have bothered? There was never anyone around to impress.

Winnies takes a hesitant look at me. “You sure you don’t want to wear that uniform. You’ll–”

“Nope. Seriously, I’m happy in this.”

“Okay,” she says, shaking her head, and picking up a bag with large books sticking out. “Oh, they sent me your timetable before you got here last night. You’re in all my classes today which means I can show you around.”

“Thanks, Winnie,” I say, more relieved than I’d admit.

She steps towards the door and I follow. She peers over her shoulder at me, halts and I walk straight into her back.

“Oof,” we both say.

“Have you got your notepad and pen?” she asks slowly like she’s addressing a small child.

“I don’t have one.”

More blinking. Then she rushes to her desk, tugs open a drawer and pulls out a pad and pen for me. She cringes slightly as she hands it to me.

“Sorry,” she says. The pad is covered in rainbows and unicorns. “My Grandma got it for me. I think she forgets sometimes that I’m no longer five.”

“Thank you, it’s fine, honestly.”

“Come on, we’d better grab our breakfast, or we’ll be late.” She pushes me out of the door and I follow her along the path.

The campus is much busier than it was last night or this morning. Other students hurry along the paths, emerging from doorways or call to one another out of windows. All of them are wearing the uniform – the guys dressed in the same green tartan blazers, although they get to wear navy trousers and no silly hats – and I realize I’ve made a big mistake, because dressed in my jeans and hoodie, I stick out like a penguin in a flock of peacocks. Great! People’s heads turn to stare at me as we stride past, and there’s whispering and nudging. I try to hide the rainbow pad under my arm, failing miserably.

I’m somewhat relieved when we reach the back entrance of the mansion and duck inside.

“We’re eating in here?” I ask.

“Yep, students eat in the Great Hall.” She beckons me along a corridor lined with portraits of what I gather are past students and through an internal pair of wooden doors.

The noise hits me first, scores of voices bouncing off the stone walls and high ceilings, accompanied by the clink of cutlery against plates.

By the entrance of the hall is a service station where several women dressed in white aprons are ladling out food onto the plates of waiting students. Beyond them are four long wooden tables running the length of the hall with benches tucked underneath and a final table raised on a slight platform at the far end. Above this high table glitters a multitude of stained glass windows depicting battles including several more dragons and other creatures I’ve never seen before. Along the other walls hang more portraits and four suits of armor guard the corners of the hall.

As we join the back of the line for food, I realize I was wrong to feel relieved. Every eye in the hall seems to swivel my way and for a few agonizing minutes the hall falls into deadly silence before erupting into that roar of chatter again.

“What was that?” I whisper to Winnie.